


Bucky and the Bartender

by ArtemisRising



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-05-04 19:34:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14600190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtemisRising/pseuds/ArtemisRising
Summary: It's a blast from the past when Bucky stumbles upon an old haunt of his and Steve's from back in the day. Finally working up the courage to step inside he's transported back to his 40s life, but with one new addition - you. There's something magic about you that he can't quite explain. But will this blossom into something special or will both of your stubbornness wreck everything?





	Bucky and the Bartender

Bucky almost couldn’t believe his eyes when he found it. After moving out of the Avengers Compound a few weeks ago, he’d looked through his old journals as he packed them away into his new office and stumbled upon a rather nice dream he’d had in Budapest. It involved the bar that was his and Steve’s favourite place back in the forties. The bar had been called Buddy’s and was always filled with music and warm light from the amber glass lamps dangling from the ceiling.  
So when he saw the 2017 version of Buddy’s, he was shocked but decidedly disappointed. The sign was still hanging above the oak and glass doors, but the once shining gold paint had faded with time and neglect into dullness. When he pulled the door open, the same little bell tinkled melodically and a wave of nostalgia twisted Bucky’s insides.  
It was mid afternoon on a Monday morning, so he wasn’t particularly surprised to find the place virtually deserted, the only company being the dust motes that floated elegantly through the air. But when he heard the patter of footsteps his heart jumped up into his throat. A girl appeared behind the bar, her hair tied up messily on the top of her head and a tray of glasses clutched in her hands.  
Buck attempted to stay perfectly still but it was futile. If he had seen himself through her eyes, he would have considered her utterly blind to not notice the 6 foot tall man in a baseball cap, army anorak and black leather gloves and be a bit concerned.   
“If you’re here to rob us, can you let me put these away first? I’d rather not have my boss yell at me for the robbery **and** broken glasses” she called from behind the oak bar.  
Bucky froze; his lips moving but none of the many responses running through his head coming out. The girl cocked her head slightly to the side in curiosity but a second later Bucky turned and bolted from the bar, the door loudly clicking shut behind his retreating figure.

* * *

 

It took about an hour of wandering around the block before Bucky worked up the nerve to step back into the bar.   
“Back again?” the girl asked, an eye brow raised. Her eyes didn’t leave his as she polished the wine glass with a bright white napkin.  
“I’m not here to rob you” he stated slightly robotically “I would like a whiskey please”  
Something that Bucky thought was probably a smirk twisted the girl’s lips and she placed the now polished glass into the rack behind her.   
“Coming right up. Take a seat” she said, nodding to the stool directly in front of her. The heavy echo of his boots on the timber floor seemed to reverberate in his ears as he hurried to the seat and perched himself on the worn red leather. The girl grabbed a bottle of amber whiskey from the shelf above her head and a slightly cloudy whiskey glass.  
Bucky grabbed a cardboard coaster from the stack in front of him and placed it onto the bar before she could and an appreciative smile crossed her face before she placed the glass down on it and filled it with 3 fingers of alcohol.  
Bucky murmured his thanks before taking a deep sip of his drink. The bartender turned away from Bucky at this point, returning to the polishing of the wine glasses.  
A few minutes passed silently between them, Bucky alternating between sipping his drink and watching her work. Years of hiding from people had left the ex-soldier with an intrinsic desire to people watch.  
“Do you want another drink or is my back really that fascinating?” she asked and Bucky’s whole body tensed. She turned around and smiled at his amazed face. “Notice the mirror?” the girl teased, rapping her knuckle gently against the mirror under the liquor shelf. Bucky’s cheeks burnt red at being caught. He should have remembered that, but the mirror had oxidized so much that it was barely shining anymore.   
“I used to come here” Bucky blurted out as she refilled his empty glass. She looked at him expectantly, stoppering the bottle but not turning away to put it back. “My and my best mate Steve used to come here every Friday looking for dames”  
“Ever have any luck?” she asked, wiping down the top of the counter with a damp rag.   
“I did pretty well for myself” he chuckled, averting his gaze to the whiskey in his glass. “Steve was…not so lucky. Too many girls judged off initial observations” he smirked at her and she breathed out a laugh.  
“I stand by my judgement! I rarely get one customer on a Monday let alone a stranger in a baseball cap with gloves on” she quipped back and Bucky chuckled, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. There was a moment of silence as she considered him closely. There was vulnerability to him, the way his shoulders were slightly hunched and his eyes were frequently darting to observe his surroundings; like he was waiting to be found by someone. “Can I ask why you wear the gloves?” she probed softly, but she felt regret as soon as the words left her lips. She’d been taking to this guy for 5 minutes, why the hell would he want to tell her?  
“It’s cause…my hand’s a bit...wrecked” he murmured awkwardly, not quite sure how to say it aloud. ‘I lost my real arm when I fell off a train. But a terrorist group gave me a new one…which Tony Stark then blew off so now I’ve got this one that the King of Wakanda gave me’ tended to cause more confusion than it was worth.  
“If I show you mine will you show me yours?” she offered but Bucky just looked at her with a puzzled expression. His heart jumped up onto his throat as her hands drifted down to the waistband of her jeans and undid the button. “Calm down, fella” she teased, noting the way his brilliant blue eyes were practically popping out of his skull. She hooked her thumb into the fabric and pulled down while her other hand lifted up the hem of the shirt. His embarrassment aside, Bucky leant forward to peer more closely. The skin on her left hip was warped and red and his experience told him that it was the result of a bad burn. “I was making a coffee at my last job and didn’t notice the steam wand was pointed at me when I turned it on” she explained and Bucky winced noticeably before settling back into his seat. He could feel his heart start to race in his chest as his right hand seemed to move on its own and pull at the fingers of his worn black glove. After what felt like an eon to Bucky, the shining black metal of his hand was revealed, throwing the amber light from above them onto her face.  
“Wow” she murmured, leaning forward. Bucky braced himself for the revulsion that he expected to see, but instead he found nothing but awe. “Can I…?” she murmured and he nodded, feeling his cheeks redden slightly. She reached out and gently cupped the prosthetic with her soft hands.  
Bucky almost felt like laughing as he watched this stranger turn his hand over with utter reverence. To Bucky that prosthetic was a reminder of every thing he’d lost that day on the train, but to this young girl it was the most fascinating thing she’d ever seen.  
“That is so cool” she said with a slight laugh, withdrawing her touch and surprisingly Bucky found himself wishing she hadn’t. “If I ever lose a limb I’m getting the name of your guy” she joked and Bucky snorted a laugh into his glass.  
“You got it. I didn’t catch your name by the way”  
“That’s probably because I didn’t give it. My name’s (Y/N)”  
“Nice to meet you, I’m James”


End file.
